The Grenada gazette., 1887-06-25

prime Of life. and when I came to ex.
anime his limbs was astonished at the
tremendous muscular power. / had
my foot on him when / heard shouts
and shots and a terrible scream
from my horse. and l
wheeled around to see him galloping
down to the edge Of the desert with
the lioness fairly in the saddle and
using her teeth on his neck. His
screams were somewhat appalling.
Near the spot where he had been tied
were two of my friends on horseback.
They had witnessed part of my ad-
ventures through the glass, and had
saddled up as fast as possible. While
tney were yet hundred rods from my
horse the lioness had come out of the
woods full Of defiance and revenge.
and had made straight for the horse.
They fired their guns apd waved their
hats and shouted, but she would not
turn from her course. As she sprang
upon him the horse broke away, and
IL was plain to us that she would kill
him before she left him. The two
hunters rode up to me, and we opened
fire on horse and lioness. The horse
did not run straight out upon the
desert, but rushed wildly up and down
along its edge, and the beast tore
great pieces of flesh off his neck rs he
rushed. One of our bullets hit her,
and another brought the horse down
Just as he was opposite us.
He came down all in a heap,
fell over on his side with a
long-drawn groan, and the lioness
placed her claws on his body, and stood
there growing at us and showing her
teeth in savage manner. She GER
tainly had more pluck than the lion.
Look out for her!'' cried my COM
rades in chorus, but the advice was
useless. Idon't know that the beast
saw them at all. She seemed to have
eyes only for me. perhaps because I
was on foot. I was, indeed, the only
one she need fear, for the horses of my
companions were so restless that they
threatened with every move to unseat
their riders, and after two Or three
minutes bolted in spite of rein and spur
and made for camp. / have often
wished for photograph of the lioness
as she stood there over the dead horse
head up, lips drawn, eyes flashing,
tail switching, and such warning in
her low growing as would try any
mans nerve. Ihad tumbled her mate
over with a good shot, and felt not the
least fear of this beast. stood for a
minute with half-raised carbine and
looked her square in the eyes. expect
ing every second that she would spring.
Seeing that she was waiting for me to
open the battle, I jerked the gun to my
face and gave her shot. The big
bullet struck her fair in the throat and
knocked her over backward, and she
was dead by the time I had thrown out
the empty shell and advanced to the
horse.
Next day witnessed a new phase in
lion nature. Three or four of us had
gone down the edge of the desert to
where wooded cape pushed itself out
for half mile. 1t was about three
o'clock in the afternoon, and we were
somewhat separated as we secuted
along, carefully surveying the edges Of
the forest, when all of a sudden we
were startled by the roar of lion.
An old solitary had been hiding under
a bush on the desert side of us, He
was a NANCY old fellow, his color
faded, his name dropping out, and his
teeth worn down until he could hardly
eat. He had probably been driven
out of society, the same rs the elephant
and rhinoceros when they get too
mean to be put up with any
longer, and he was ugly enough
to attack any body or any thing.
He was thirty rods to the left Of us, and
was we'll hidden that we should have
passed him unobserved had he re-
mained quiet. He made directly for
Captain Cameron, who was the center
man. Each of us fired a snap shot.
but without effect, and then the Cap
tain did neat piece OF work. His
horse seemed paralyzed with fear, and
he slid off OH the far side and took a
run for it to get chance to shoot.
The lion came on. covering twenty
feet at every bound, and sprang for the
horses neck. He had too mnch spring
in him and went clear over, and then
the horse regained his pluck and rushed
away.
The lion was now left alone and un-
covered on the plain. He was certain
ly put out by his failure to seize the
horse. for his tail was down, and he
looked uneasy. The two Of us who
were still mounted could not be sure of